The Body Finder by Kimberly Derting

The Body Finder
Author: Kimberly Derting
Publisher: HarperTeen (an imprint of HarperCollins)
Release Date: March 16, 2010
Edition: Paperback
* Purchased on my own.

Summary from GoodReads:
Violet Ambrose is grappling with two major issues: Jay Heaton and her morbid secret ability. While the sixteen-year-old is confused by her new feelings for her best friend since childhood, she is more disturbed by her "power" to sense dead bodies—or at least those that have been murdered. Since she was a little girl, she has felt the echoes that the dead leave behind in the world... and the imprints that attach to their killers.

Violet has never considered her strange talent to be a gift; it mostly just led her to find the dead birds her cat had tired of playing with. But now that a serial killer has begun terrorizing her small town, and the echoes of the local girls he's claimed haunt her daily, she realizes she might be the only person who can stop him.

Despite his fierce protectiveness over her, Jay reluctantly agrees to help Violet on her quest to find the murderer—and Violet is unnerved to find herself hoping that Jay's intentions are much more than friendly. But even as she's falling intensely in love, Violet is getting closer and closer to discovering a killer... and becoming his prey herself.

My Thoughts:

Admittedly I've been meaning to read The Body Finder for a while now and well, before diving in I was a little afraid that I wouldn't love it--which was the reason why I'd been putting off buying a copy. However, by the time I started in on chapter two, I knew I was going to love The Body Finder and well, I was right.

Violet has always been able to sense those who have been murdered as well as the film that it leaves on their killers. But it's almost always been animals, until now. While at a lake house party--and out on a Wave Runner--she spots an oil like film on the water and upon further investigation, she comes face to face with murdered girl in her watery grave. Someone has been abducting local girls, murdering them, and leaving their bodies to either be forgotten or discovered. By the time a second body is found, Violet decides to put her ability to work and begins to hunt for the murderer--and they'd kill to keep their identity a secret.

Can I just start by saying that I'd love to have my own Jay? Yeah, I have a crush on Jay--there, I said it! Not because he's grown up over the summer, but because he's mostly laid back and he'd fiercely defend Violet in a heartbeat. Yes, from Violet's viewpoint I imagine that this could be annoying at times (being protected is--in her case--not exactly productive) but it was just so sweet! I loved seeing Violet fight her feelings for him and well, Jay's reactions along the way. That's not to say that I didn't like Violet--although there were moments where I seriously would've liked to strangle her for being so stubborn and not admitting her feelings for Jay.

Honestly, if you couldn't tell by now, I really loved Violet and Jay's budding relationship and I also loved the setting! A small town nestled near both the woods and a lake? Love it. I will, however, say that I felt that although the murders were obviously very important, Violet pulled the story along (her high school life). It's not precisely a constant stream of action, but things move along nicely and now I'm really looking forward to reading Desires of the Dead. With all of that said, I'd recommend The Body Finder to you if you like stories with a paranormal element that does not include vampires, werewolves, etc.

Overall Rating: ★★★★